1.30.2008

Four Star Coffee (Blue Bottle Cafe, San Francisco)

I'm on my week off right now...having wrapped things up at PAV on Sunday. There was a lot of goodbyes, and hugs, and booze. I'll be following up on all this madness tomorrow, but today is all about Blue Bottle Cafe, which today turned one week old.

I love Blue Bottle. I'm addicted to Blue Bottle. I drink a full press pot, to the head, every morning. My days off are planned around trips to either their Linden kiosk or the farmers market. A restaurant having Blue Bottle on the menu will become a reason in it's own for a visit. I've been known to drink a small press pot at 1:30 am with dessert at Nopa. The farmers market(s) and kiosk are great. They bring with them a certain indie cool opting out special trip kinda vibe. Linden especially has a cool feeling, with bike messengers, tech folks, and restaurant industry all mingling over lattes and drip coffees.

The cafe does not feel like this at all. Don't get me wrong--there are plenty of young, hip, in the know people hanging out. Alot of familiar Blue Bottle folks man the counter, and the $20,000 Japanese siphon bar. They menu looks the same, although yesterday there was a guy in chef coat making sandwiches, which sit pretty in a case next to the register.

The whole operation, with everyone in black dress shirts and aprons, and the immaculate shelves and counters, looks like a fine dining (drinking?) spot. There are newspapers to read, and no one is in the corner chair using their laptop. Yet. Still, simply said, it's a stunner.

There has already been plenty of coverage and buzz....here, here, and here. You need to go...if only for the theatre of that crazy machine.